Beyond the Visible - Hilma af Klint

This screening (19h30 tonight) is sold out, sorry!

The first abstract artist was a woman: Swedish painter Hilma af Klimt (1862-1944). Since 1906 – many years before Vasily Kandinsky embarked on his abstract work – she had been painting geometric abstractions, following her mystical beliefs; higher, spiritual forces guided her brush strokes. It resulted in a groundbreaking, revolutionary modern oeuvre. Still, the artist and her work are now almost forgotten. How can it be that such a pioneer remains largely unnoticed? Why isn't her work for sale anywhere, why isn't it exhibited in modern art museums around the world?

In this documentary, German filmmaker Halina Dyrschka tries to find the answers to these questions, presenting a fascinating portrait of the artist and her work, while also exploring the role of women in art history. Through her work, Hilma af Klimt searched for meaning in life and – without being hindered by prevailing conventions – thus created an exceptional oeuvre that today is as powerful as ever.

The film will be introduced by Marco Pasi, Associate Professor in the History of Hermetic philosophy and related currents at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). He has published extensively on modern Western esotericism.